The play "Imoseyama Onna Teikin" was originally written for the puppet theater (Bunraku) and staged for the first time
in the 1st lunar month of 1771 in ďsaka at Takeda Shinmatsu's theater (ex-Takemotoza). It was quickly adapted for Kabuki and
staged in Ky˘to in the 3rd lunar month of 1771 at the Kitagawa no Shibai [casting].
It was a long run, produced from the 25th of March to the 10th of the 5th lunar month of 1771. For this premiere, the roles of Soga no Iruka, Daihanji no Kiyosumi and Sadaka
were played by Ichikawa Saiz˘, Nakayama Raisuke I and Arashi Hinasuke I.

Structure

"Dazai Yakata Hana Watashi", in English "The Handing of Flowers at Dazai's Palace", commonly called "Hana Watashi" ("The Handing of Flowers")
is the first scene of the third act of "Imoseyama Onna Teikin". This half-an-hour scene is still part of the current Kabuki repertoire
and is occcasionally staged within a t˘shi ky˘gen production of "Imoseyama Onna Teikin".

Visiting the mansion of Sadaka, Dazai Sh˘ni's widow and Hinadori's mother, Iruka calls Daihanji, Koganosuke's father,
to the mansion. Sadaka and Daihanji, who are on bad terms, begin to quarrel when Iruka appears and tells them
to reveal Uneme's whereabouts. Iruka, who wishes to marry Uneme, is skeptical about the report that she has drowned herself.

Iruka says that although Sadaka and Daihanji pretend to be antagonistic, they are in fact collaborating with each
other to oppose Iruka in support of the Emperor. He demands that they prove their loyalty to him by making Hinadori
and Koganosuke serve him as mistress and government official respectively. To show how disastrous their fate will be
if they disobey him, Iruka hits a handrail with a cherry branch to crash its blossoms to pieces.